Advancing reel



W. G. ESMOND July 3, 1951 ADVANCING REEL INVENTOR. WILLIAM G. ESMOND.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 5, 1947 9% ATTORNEYS Patented July 3, 1951 ADVANCING REEL William G. Esmond, Cumberland, Md., assignor to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application February 5, 1947, Serial No. 726,516

' '1 Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus employed in'the manufacture of artificial silk filaments, thread, yarn and the like, hereinafter referred to as yarn, and relates more particularly to a yarn reel adapted to advance helices of yarn in an axial direction. The yarn may be subjected to a treatment with a fluid medium or mediums during the movement of the helices of yarn along the reel.

An object of this invention is the provision of an improved yarn advancing reel of the cantilever type characterized by its simplicity and strength of construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved yarn advancing reel embodying a plurality of bars which are angularly spaced with respect to each other, the angular spacing being fixed and equal, and which bars are divided into description.

In the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of this invention is shown,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section,

7 of the free end of the yarn advancing reel,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the advancing reel,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 3--3 in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a contour strip adapted for adjustment to a surface of the slider of the bars.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of my invention, the reel comprises a plurality of bars which are divided into equal sets to form two cages. The bars generally indicated by reference numeral 5 form one cage, and the bars generally indicated by reference 6 form the other cage. The bars 5 and 6 are supported, by means hereinafter set forth, on a single shaft 5 driven by any suitable means (not shown), which shaft rotates said bars. The shaft 7 is rotatably mounted in a bushing 8 and held therein by thrust bearings 9 and I I and collar 12, A circular plate i3 is mounted on shaft 1 by means of withdrawal being as a rule about Th.

2 a collar M for rotation therewith. The bushing 8, and thus the reel structure, is supported by a flange I5 which is attached to rigid supporting means (not shown).

The plate I3 is provided with radial slots 5 equally spaced and extending circumferenti'ally around said plate. There are sixteen slots in plate 13, one for each of the bars 5 and 6 shown in Figure 1. Behind each slot I6 is mounted a rectangular bearing housing H, which may be integral with plate. l3. The bearing housings I! are adapted to receive rectangular blocks l8. each provided with a lateral wing bracket IQ, for reciprocatory movement in said housings. Each block l8 with its bracket I9 is adapted to support thereon a bar 5 or 6. The blocks l8 ride on antifriction means such as ball-bearings 2| carried in oval ball-race grooves 22 in blocks l8.

The bars 5 and 6 are substantially similar in structure and comprise a channeled slider 23 having a slightly rounded top 24 having extended edges 25. In the channel of slider 23 is mounted an inner bar 26 which is fixedly mounted on block l8 and bracket 19. The slider 23 is spaced from inner bar 26 by means of ball-bearings 21 carried in ball-race grooves 28.

The means for giving the bars 5 and 6 the required in and out interdigitating movement comprises a stationary cam 29 integral with or fixed to hearing 8 and provided with grooves 3i and 32 in which ride cam followers 33 and 34 respectively. Cam followers 33 are rotatably mounted on a bracket 35 fixed to or integral with the blocks 58 on which bars 5 are carried, and cam followers 34 are rotatably mounted on a bracket 36 fixed to orintegral with blocks 58 on which bars 6 are carried. Thus, the cam follower of every other block, and bar, is located in a different cam groove. On rotation of shaft 7, plate 83 is rotated, carrying with it bars 5 and 6 of the reel. The cam followers 33 and 34 riding in grooves 3| and 32 in stationary cam 29 impart the proper interdigitating movement to the bars 5 and 6. Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that one set of bars, for example, bars 5, follows a circular path for of rotation and then withdraws uniformly towards the center of the reel, the extent of the The set comprising bars 6 moves exactly as the set comprising bars 5 but 180 out of phase. It is to be understood that the motion of bars 5 and 6 may be altered by changing the contour of grooves in the cam 29.

The sliders 23 of bars 5 are caused to advance uniformly by the following means: Each of the sliders of bars 5 is provided with a stub shaft 31 3 a on which a cam follower 38 is rotatably mounted for contact with the edge 39of cam 4| fixed to bushing 8. The edge 39 of the cam is so cut as to give a uniform advance to the sliders through from 180 to 300 of rotation of the bars about shaft 1. However, the movement of the sliders is preferably such that they advance from 225 to 275 of rotation and return through the other 135 to 85 of rotation. The cam follower 38 is held against the edge 39 of the cam 4| by means of a compression spring 42 carried in a groove 43 in inner bar 26 and retained in position between a lug 44 on slider 23 and a lug 45 on inner bar 26.

The sliders of bars 6 are caused to advance and return uniformly in a similar manner. Thus, each of the sliders of bars 6 is provided-with a stub shaft 46 having rotatably mounted thereon a cam follower '41 adapted to contact edge 48 of cam 49 which is also fixed to bearing 8. The edge 48 is also cut so as to impart a uniform advance to the sliders of bars 6 throughout 225 to 275 of rotation of the reel about shaft 1 and the return of the sliders through the other 135 to 85 of rotation.

The motion of the advancing reel of this invention will now be explained with particular reference to Fig. 1. As the shaft rotates, the cam followers 33 riding in groove 3| in stationary cam 29 cause the bars of one cage to follow a perfectly circular path clockwise from point E to point F, then to move gradually and uniformly inward towards shaft I from point F to point G, the maximum withdrawal point, and then to move outwardly from point G to point E where they are fully extended. At the same time, the rotation of shaft 1 causes the cam followers 34 to ride in the groove 32 of stationary cam 29 thereby causing the bars 6 of the second cage to follow a perfectly circular path clockwise from point F to point E, then to withdraw gradually and uniformly inward towards shaft I from point E to point H, the point of maximum withdrawal, and then gradually to move outwardly from point H to point F where they are fully extended.

The movement of the cages with respect to each other is synchronized in advance before the transfer of the yarn is made so as to eliminate substantially any abrasion of the yarn. Thus, the sliders of the bars 5 of one cage begin advancing, i. e., moving towards the left as viewed in Fig. 2, at point I before the bars are fully extended and the advancing continues until point J is reached. From point J to point I, the sliders return to their original positions ready for another advancingmovement. This return of the sliders is made while the bars 5 are withdrawn away from the yarn. This motion of the sliders is effected by the cam followers 38 running on the edge 39 of cam 4|. The sliders of bars [6 of the other cage begin advancing at point K before the bars 6 are fully extended and before the advance of the sliders of bars 5 of the other cage has stopped (at point J), and uniform advance of the sliders of bars 6 of the second cage continues around to point L. Since the bars 6 withdraw from point E to point L, the advance of the sliders continues until the bars have moved inwardly and away from the yarn. From point L to point K, the sliders of bars 6 return to their original position ready for another advance. The motion of the sliders of bars 6 is effected by cam followers 41 running on the edge 48 of cam 49.

In. Fig. 4, there is shown a contour strip 5| which may be employed to take care of linear changes in the yarn during processing. These contour strips are fastened to the surface of the sliders and may be provided with grooves 52 which would enable the amount of advance of the yarn to be made precise. Moreover, since the yarn is carried inthe grooves 52, the yarns may be precisely advanced in a slack condition. The center to center distance of grooves 52 is exaggerated for the purpose of illustration. Actually one groove would substantially touch the next groove.

The structure of the advancing reel of the present invention possesses many advantages. Thus, the rectangular bearing housing and block arrangement permits of the in and out movement of the bars of the cages to be parallel at all times to shaft 1; the angular spacing of the bars remains fixed and equal, avoiding any abrasion of the yarn; the cam means in-effecting the interdigitating movement of the cages is positive; both cages may be synchronized in advance while the transfer of yarn is made and both cages advance uniformly and thus producing perfect helices of yarn. Q

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A reel for advancing helices of yarn axially, comprising a bushing, a rotatable shaft journaled in said bushing, a plate mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a plurality of spaced, f

angularly arranged bearing housings on said plate, a radially reciprocable block mountedin each of said bearing housings, a longitudinally extending bar, for carrying the yarn along the reel, fixed to each block, and a single stationary cam, having a plurality of grooves therein, mounted on said bushing for reciprocating each of said blocks in said housings individually and in predetermined order.

2. A reel for advancing. helices of yarn axially, comprising a bushing, a rotatable shaft journaled in said bushing, a plate mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a plurality of spaced, angularly arranged bearing housings on said plate, a radially reciprocable block mounted in each of said bearing housings, a longitudinally extending bar, for carrying the yarn along the reel, fixed to each block, a cam follower on each of said blocks, and a single stationary cam, having a plurality of grooves therein, mounted on said bushing for cooperating with said cam followers to reciprocate each of said blocks in said housings individually and in predetermined order.

3. A reel for advancing helices of yarn axially, comprising a bushing, a rotatable shaft journaled in said bushing, a plate mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a plurality of spaced, angularly arranged bearing housings on said plate, a radially reciprocable block mounted in each ofsaid bearing housings, a longitudinally extending bar, for carrying the yarn along the reel, fixed to each block, a cam follower on each of said blocks, and a single stationary cam, having a plurality of grooves for receiving said cam followers, mounted on said bushing to reciprocate each of said blocks in said housings individually and in predetermined order.

4. A reel for advancing helices of yarn axially, comprising a bushing, a rotatable shaft journaled in said bushing, a plate mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a plurality of blocks carried by said plate, a longitudinally extending bar, for carrying the yarn along the reel, mounted on each block, each of said bars comprising an inner bar and a slider carried by said inner bar for movement relative thereto, a single stationary cam, having a plurality of grooves therein, mounted on said bushing for reciprocating each of said blocks radially in predetermined order, and a plurality of cams mounted on said bushing for reciprocating each of said sliders axially in predetermined order.

5. A reel for advancing helices of yarn axially, comprising a bushing, a rotatable shaft journaled in said bushing, a plate mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a plurality of spaced, angularly arranged bearing housings on said plate, a radially reciprocable block mounted in each of said bearing housings, a longitudinally extending bar, for carrying the yarn along the reel, fixed to each block, each of said bars comprising an inner bar and a slider carried by said inner bar for movement relative thereto, a single stationary cam, having a plurality of grooves therein, mounted on said bushing for reciprocating each of said blocks radially in predetermined order, and a plurality of cams mounted on said bushing for reciprocating each of said sliders axially in predetermined order.

6. A reel for advancing helices of yarn axially, comprising a bushing, a rotatable shaft journaled in said bushing, a plate mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a plurality of spaced, angularly arranged bearing housings on said plate, a radially reciprocable block mounted in each of said bearing housings, a longitudinally extending bar, for carrying the yarn along the reel, fixed to each block, a cam follower on each of said blocks, each of said bars comprising an inner bar and a slider carried by said inner bar for movement relative thereto, a single stationary cam, having a plurality of grooves therein, mounted on said bushing for reciprocating each of said blocks radially in predetermined order, and a plurality of cams mounted on said bushing for reciprocating each of said sliders axially in predetermined order.

7. A reel for advancing helices of yarn axially, comprising a bushing, a rotatable shaft journaled in said bushing, a plate mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a plurality of spaced angularly arranged bearing housings on said plate, a radially reciprocable block mounted in each of said bearing housings, a longitudinally extending bar, for carrying the yarn along the reel, fixed to each block, said bars forming two cages, the bars of one of said cages being interdigitated with the bars of the other of said cages to form a cylinder of spaced, longitudinally extending bars, a single stationary carp, having a plurality of grooves therein, mounted on said bushing for radially reciprocating each of said blocks individually, and a plurality of cams mounted on said bushing for longitudinally advancing the bars of each cage separately, the construction and arrangement being such that the longitudinal movement of the bars of one cage is synchronized with the longitudinal movement of the bars of the other cage during transfer of yarn from one cage to the other cage.

WILLIAM G. ESMOND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,052,125 Boos Feb. 4, 1913 2,168,555 Battin Aug. 8, 1939 2,175,218 Samerdyke Oct. 10, 1939 2,287,517 Ewing June 23, 1942 2,378,211 Furness June 12, 1945 2,384,963 Pollak Sept. 18, 1945 2,387,252 Furness Oct. 23, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 706,195 Germany May 20, 1941 

